"We are constantly trying to reinvent ourselves and challenge ourselves to stay relevant as a global entertainment brand," said Stephanie McMahon, WWE's executive vice president of creative development and operations.

The NXT Rookies are chosen from WWE's developmental organization Florida Championship Wrestling for their personality and potential to become a WWE Superstar, McMahon said.

"In the WWE, the audience will make or break your career, so the format of `WWE NXT' is the perfect way for us to find out if these rookies have what it takes or not," she said.

The weekly show, which debuted Tuesday on Syfy at 10 p.m. and feature such stars as Justin Gabriel and Michael Tarver, will feature live and taped action in front of live audiences in arenas around the world.

"This is a unique combination of heart-stopping entertainment and gritty behind-the-scenes reality," Syfy President Dave Howe said in a statement. "The NXT Rookies take the challenge of our new tagline `Imagine Greater' to heart as they embark on their ultimate dream quest to be the next generation of revered heroes and champions in the fantastic arena of WWE."

Launched in 1992 as the Sci Fi Channel, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, which last year opened production studios in Stamford and Greenwich.

WWE produces original content on a weekly basis in television, digital media and pay-per-view formats for 500 million viewers in 145 countries, including 15.8 million television viewers in the United States.

WWE's fourth-quarter income for 2009 was $11.2 million, compared with $13.2 million for the same time last year. Net income for all of 2009 was $50.3 million, up from $45.4 million for 2008.

"I think it's going to work very well for them because they (WWE) have a franchise and they're very careful what they do with that franchise," he said, adding that reality television remains a popular choice among show producers because of its relatively low cost. "As long as that's the case, there will always be room for it."